PROJECT:
Wayfinding and Obstacles Detection System
for Elderly With Visual Impairments
THESIS OF MASTER IN SCIENCE
Supervisor: Prof. Venanzio Arquilla
Student: Eugenio Sarmiento Caraballo
Student ID: 10531698
A.Y. 2018/2019
BLUEBIRD
ABSTRACT ... I
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ... 1
1.1 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT ... 4
1.2 OBJECTIVES ... 4
CHAPTER 2 WAYFINDING ... 7
2.1 CONCEPT ... 8
2.2 ANALYSIS ... 8
2.3 ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION ... 10
CHAPTER 3 USER CONTEXT ANALYSIS ... 15
3.1 USER ... 16
3.1.1 THE INCREASING OF ELDERLY POPULATION ... 17
3.1.2 ELDERLY WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS ... 21
3.2 URBAN NAVIGATION ... 24
3.2.1 INCLUSIVE DESIGN IN URBAN AREAS ... 27
3.2.2 MAIN PROBLEMS IN URBAN NAVIGATION ... 31
CHAPTER 4 CURRENT STATE ANALYSIS ... 33
4.1 PROBLEM ... 34
4.2 STATE OF THE ART ... 37
4.3 CONSIDERATIONS ON THE STATE OF THE ART ... 59
CHAPTER 5 DEVELOPMENT PARAMETERS ... 61
5.1 CHARACTERIZATION OF SYSTEM DEVICES ... 63
5.2 PERSONA ... 69
CHAPTER 6 CONCEPT DESIGN ... 75
6.2 BLUEBIRD WAYFINDING SYSTEM SOLUTION ... 86
6.3 SYSTEM DEVICES ... 91
6.3.1 WAYFINDING DEVICE ... 91
6.3.2 OBSTACLE DETECTOR DEVICE ... 97
CHAPTER 7 USER INTERACTION ... 101
7.1 GENERAL USE OF THE SYSTEM ... 102
7.2 DETAILED USE OF THE SYSTEM ... 109
CHAPTER 8 SYSTEM OPERATION ... 121
8.1 SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE ... 122
8.2 TECHNOLOGIES USED ... 123
8.3 AUDIO INSTRUCTIONS ... 126
8.4 BATTERY SAVING ... 127
CHAPTER 9 DESIGN ENGINEERING ... 129
9.1 CUTAWAY VIEW ... 130 9.2 EXPLODED VIEW ... 133 9.3 FUNCTIONAL TEST ... 141 CHAPTER 10 CONCLUSION ... 147 10.1 RESEARCH CONCLUSION ... 148 10.2 CONTRIBUTION ... 150 10.3 FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS ... 151 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... 153 REFERENCE ... 155 LIST OF FIGURES ... 159
I
The health of the world population can be affected by multiple conditions, but the population of the elderly with special physical conditions such as visual impairments is those that usually require more attention and efficient design solutions. Also, it should be considered that this population segment will present a considerable increase in the coming years (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2015). The objective of this study is to develop a wayfinding and obstacle detection system for elderly people with visual impairments. To achieve this, it is necessary to conduct a research on wayfinding in multiple environments and analysis the relevance to the user, it is also necessary to conduct research on the elderly population, and their most common vision problems. This research is based on literature consultation, as well in the thesis "Wayfinding for Elderlies: System Focused in Healthcare Environments" developed by the author in the Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, in the double degree program. After the collection of information, its subsequent analysis and taking into account the results of the course “Final Synthesis Laboratory” can be developed a conceptual system based on 2 elements, “Wayfinding device”, located in the neck of the user, and “Obstacle detector” located in the shoe of the user. The function of the wayfinding device is to indicate to the user the route that he must take, and it does it by sounds indications, vibrations and electrical stimulation, the user can interact with this element by a tactile control and voice. The function of the obstacle detector is to alert the user when objects enter in the safe area. The main purpose is to improve the experience of the elderly when they are exploring the city, giving them tools, which provide information about where they are and where they should go in an intuitive way, reducing the stress and providing more independence.
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ITALIAN ABSTRACT
ITALIAN ABSTRACT
La salute fisica e psicologica di un individuo determina il loro benessere e quindi ha un grande impatto sulla qualità della vita. La salute della popolazione mondiale può essere influenzata da molteplici condizioni, ma la popolazione degli anziani con condizioni fisiche speciali come le disabilità visive è quella che di solito richiede più attenzione e soluzioni progettuali efficienti. Inoltre, si dovrebbe considerare che questo segmento di popolazione presenterà un notevole aumento nei prossimi anni (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2015). L'obiettivo di questo studio è sviluppare un sistema di orientamento e di rilevamento degli ostacoli per le persone anziane con disabilità visive. Per raggiungere questo obiettivo, è necessario condurre una ricerca sull'orientamento in più ambienti e analizzare la rilevanza per l'utente. è anche necessario condurre ricerche sulla popolazione anziana e sui loro problemi di visione più comuni. Questa ricerca si basa sulla consultazione della letteratura, nonché sulla tesi "Wayfinding for Elderlies: System Focused in Healthcare Environments" sviluppata dall'autore nell'Università Tsinghua di Pechino, in Cina, nel programma di doppia laurea. Dopo la raccolta di informazioni, la sua analisi successiva e tenendo conto dei risultati del corso "Laboratorio di sintesi finale" può essere sviluppato un sistema concettuale basato su 2 elementi, "Dispositivo di orientamento", situato nel collo dell'utente, e " Rilevatore di ostacoli " situato nella scarpa dell'utente. La funzione del wayfinding è quella di indicare all'utente il percorso che deve percorrere, e lo fa tramite indicazioni sonore, vibrazioni e stimolazione elettrica, l'utente può interagire con questo elemento con un controllo tattile and voice. La funzione del rilevatore di ostacoli è di avvisare l'utente quando gli oggetti entrano nell'area sicura dell'utente. Lo scopo principale è migliorare l'esperienza degli anziani quando esplorano la città, dando loro strumenti, che forniscono informazioni su dove si trovano e dove dovrebbero andare in modo intuitivo, riducendo lo stress e fornendo maggiore indipendenza.
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Aging is part of the life cycle of all people, is a stage that is determined begins around 65 years and is when the person has completed in many cases their work or productive stage, since many times he does not have the physical or mental capacities to perform properly, also this stage to be the last of the cycle of life is seen as a phase of rest and realization of other activities that provide welfare or happiness to the person. Now, in the world a particular phenomenon is occurring, where a large number of people are already elderly, this population segment will present a considerable increase in the coming years, according to the projections of the United Nations, in 2015, a total of 901 million people aged over 60 were estimated and it is expected to increase to 2,100 million by the year 2050 [1]. This increase in the elderly population is due to multiple events, among which we can highlight the baby boomer [2], the phenomenon that developed due to the Second World War, as well as the advance in the science of medicine that has allowed to improve many of the medical procedures, as well as the development of equipment and techniques that allow the detection of diseases and their specific treatment, it should also be noted that new lifestyles have changed the dynamics of the family, where the priority is personal development, advancing in their academic and / or professional careers, and leaving little time for family development, therefore small families, with only one child, is the standard in many countries of the world, which means that in the future, families will present the 4-2-1 scheme, where a single person must meet the emotional and financial needs of their parents and grandparents, which means a great economic and emotional burden. It also shows that in many parts of the world where technology is part of people's daily lives and the constant use of digital social networks as the main source of interpersonal relationships, it generates in many cases that people cannot develop the necessary skills to create and maintain emotional ties; these problems are first and foremost in European and Asian countries where there is an economic boom and technological development. Likewise, the fact that a large number of people retire from their jobs because of their age and that there are not enough people to replace them means that in the future economic and social balance problems will arise in many countries, which many of them have already implemented policies to reduce the negative impact of the increase in the population of the elderly [3].
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quality of life, and this quality of life is related to their physical and mental health, since much of this population suffers from some physical deficiency due to natural causes of aging, and one of the main problems is the deterioration of sight capacity [4], these problems can usually be corrected with help elements such as glasses or contact lenses, also many times it is required to perform a corrective surgery that allows the person to recover visual abilities, often the deterioration of some components of the visual system is severe and cannot be corrected, in these cases the person is considered legally blind [5]. These people considered blind or with a severe visual impairment face different daily challenges to carry out common activities. The realization of these activities is essential to maintain the active person and be a productive part of society, the autonomy and independence in the realization of these activities allows to diminish the possible emotional problems that the person may have, who often suffer from depression, isolation and low self-esteem [6][7].
Among the different activities that an elderly person with visual disability must perform, one of the most challenging is to move from one place to another in the city, either by fundamental activities such as making food purchases, payment of services, etc., or as another type of activities for recreational purposes such as walking in a park, visiting religious or historical places, or even traveling to explore places of personal interest. This type of activities are usually carried out in places that the person already knows, and it has a detailed mental map of the area, where it facilitates the identification of landmarks, possible routes of displacement and the determination of obstacles, it should be noted that, for the realization of this action, the person uses the other senses that of necessity become more acute. For the places that the person with the visual disability does not know, normally he depends on other people that accompany and guide him, it is also possible to use many wayfinding tools either as unique devices or as smartphone applications. Also, one of the main reasons why people who suffer from visual disability do not dare to explore new places, is because of the lack of safety they experience when are navigating through urban places, these environments are very dynamic and can present permanent or temporary obstacles that
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can cause bumps or falls [8], which leads to a deterioration in the health of the person and if the age of this person is taken into account, the recovery may take a long time.
The main purpose in the development of this project is to improve the experience of the elderly when they are exploring the city, giving them tools, which provide information about where they are and where they should go, identifying any obstacle that may affect their physical integrity, as well as generating a whole support system taking into account their preferences and abilities to guarantee their safety, all of this framed in the development of devices with an intuitive interaction, that allow to reduce the stress of the people and provide them with the necessary autonomy to maintain an adequate quality of life.
1.1 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
The realization of this project is focused on the design of wayfinding tools for urban environments that directly benefit the elderly with vision problems, allowing them to have a better experience when they move to a familiar environment or exploring new places, giving the possibility to users to be more independent and without needing large memory capacities or space identification skills and decreasing the levels of stress to which they may be subjected. Likewise, the development of the project provides benefits to different types of users, since several principles of inclusive design are used as equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive, tolerance of error and low physical effort.
1.2 OBJECTIVES
GENERAL OBJECTIVE
Development of a wayfinding system and obstacle detection for elderly people with vision problems.
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• Investigate the situation of elderly people worldwide, and the elderly population suffering from visual disability, considering social and economic factors.
• Determine the main wayfinding and safety needs of the elderly with vision problems in urban environments.
• Design a wayfinding system and obstacle detection using technological tools based on user preferences and skills.
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The information gathered through the literature research, have allowed to determine that there are multiple possibilities for the development of solutions focused on the elderly in the urban areas when he is doing an activity of navigation; these environments have special characteristics which must be considered when developing new ideas with a design methodology. One of the recurring problems encountered is related to the location of specific places, where the users often cannot determine the place they must access and the route they must take, therefore they should depend of others person, that can be a family or a friend, even in the people that are in the environment, also in some cases the user have to be accompanied throughout the journey; these are the situations where it is possible to intervene, developing systems focused on a user with special needs but also taking into account the different characteristics of the environment. For the proper development of tools that allow users to determine their position and where they want to go on a specific route, it is necessary to take into account all the principles of wayfinding, as well as different case studies and valid applications developed.
2.1 CONCEPT
The wayfinding can be determined as the ability that the user has for the location and arrival to a destination or also navigation in specific environments, both cognitively and behaviorally [9],[10].
2.2 ANALYSIS
The wayfinding has been studied for many years and has been a fundamental piece for the development of efficient and inclusive environments, therefore has had a great impact on the development of areas such as architecture, design, urban planning, graphic design and the psychology of the environment. Despite the many studies and developments that have been made, even today there are environments with a lot of wayfinding problems, which not only make it difficult for users to find the right route to their destinations, but also greatly influence the well-being of users, these problems can
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disorientation in complex environments, especially if the user is not familiar with these types of environments. [11][13][14]. This type of negative experiences affects the perception that the user has of a company, institution, area or even a city, with which the reputation would be greatly affected [9]. To avoid disorientation in environments, most companies use graphic elements as an information system. If they are developed incorrectly, they can affect even more users, creating a less friendly environment; usually the errors that can be found in the graphic signaling is the illegibility, the lack of clarity or the inability to read [11][15][16]; but even these elements have an even greater participation if different types of users are taken into account, such as the elderly where they may have visual problems, or due to the same causes of age they do not have the capacity to understand the graphic signs, or even as they are presented in different cases many people travel around countries mostly for tourist purposes, and where the language in this places are different and therefore it is impossible for them to understand the information expressed in the different graphic signals.
Some of the main consequences of the bad development of elements of the wayfinding are mainly the loss of time and production, both for the user, as for the people that depending of the user, for example a medical staff waiting for a user for a medical appointment; even if the extreme possibilities are taken into account, we can find that in an emergency situation it is fundamental to have good designed elements that allow the emergency personnel to efficiently enter any type of area or building, finding the required place, or allowing the users and personnel of the environment to leave quickly; therefore a good design of the elements of the wayfinding can give the possibility of diminishing the amount of users injured or killed in an emergency situation, but they can also allow the timely action of emergency personnel to safeguard information, equipment or infrastructure.
Accessibility is one of the main problems often encountered in complex environments, therefore the inclusive design together with the right wayfinding tools can allow many users with different disabilities that can be physical, psychological or sensory, can access efficiently. Since this type of problems can create physical or
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psychological obstacles to users, preventing full interaction with the environment and reducing their participation in any type of activity [11][17].
2.3 ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
The user in his journey through the different spaces acquires information directly from the environment, this extraction can be conscious or unconscious, depending on the cognitive process of the user and their own capabilities [18], likewise, this extracted information is stored and processed, and is used when the user requires it, this process can be applied to any type of environment, whether public areas or private areas and it is also indifferent the types of processes that are carried out in that place, for example, medical environments, academics, parks, street, etc. The information that the user collects from the environment in the wayfinding process is called "environmental information" and refers to all the architectural elements that make up a building, but also refers to all the graphic elements that provide information to the user about its location, the location where it is going and the possible routes to take [19]; also the wayfinding process is based on 3 fundamental principles, decision-making, decision execution and information processing, where decision-making and decision execution are based on "environmental information", since this information must be acquired in the place where the user is, and it must be analyzed and understood to make a determination about the route to follow.
One of the main elements of "environmental information" is the development of the architectural space, where many of its elements must be taken into account if it is designed for a particular user, or to maintain the principle of accessibility that compiles the majority of users. The elements that make up the architectural space can be divided according to their characteristics into paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks [20], where the paths refer to the different pathways of an environment, whether external or internal, that the user can use to move around. The edges are those boundaries or physical boundaries that demarcate an area, the most common elements in edges are the walls. The districts are areas enclosed with a particular function, can be offices, warehouses, etc. The nodes are points where a large number of people are grouped,
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according to the type of building.
Another of the main elements of "environmental information" is related to the graphic elements that make up an information system, which allow users to transit through an environment efficiently, therefore these elements must be legible, clear and simple. These types of elements interact directly with the environment and the fact that they are effective depends on their design. The main graphic elements used in information systems are maps [21] and signs [15],[16].
Maps: This graphic element is one of the most used since ancient times, which allows the user to transit through diverse environments in a fluid way; the maps give information to the user about orientations, routes and locations, therefore it allows the user to determine the place where he is and the place of his destination. The maps can be divided into two categories, the area maps, where it is possible to find a great variety of information of specific places. This type of maps usually contains information about the five characteristics of architectural spaces: paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks [20], and its representation is usually based on vertical or horizontal lines, this simplification of the graphic elements allows the user to quickly understand all the contained data. The other category of maps is the route map, where a route to a specific destination is shown schematically, this type of maps is widely used to provide information about emergency routes, as well as public transport routes, and even in specialized areas such as patient routes in surgical procedures.
The different types of maps may contain different amounts of information, this depends on the functionality of the map, as well as the user to whom the information is directed; the information must be carefully analyzed since an amount greater than that required in a map can be counterproductive and its effectiveness would be reduced when the user's spatial perception is lost. Likewise, the orientation of the map can be fundamental in the understanding of the information it contains, since if a map is aligned with the environment, taking into account the user's perspective, the user will be able to understand more intuitively his position regarding the environment, it should also be
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noted that if a map is designed in a simple way, with simple elements, the user will be able to understand it more directly.
Signs: The signs are another of the graphic elements used in wayfinding, these are complemented by the architectural space, allowing the user to find a route intuitively. The signals are divided into 4 categories, the directional signals, the identification signals, the orientation signals and the regulation signals [22].
Directional signs are those that indicate to the user the different routes or areas of an environment, which allows the user to find their destination efficiently; these signals usually contain texts, which can be in several languages if the entity has users of different nationalities or if the institution is certified by an international entity, the signal can also contain indicative symbols such as arrows or iconography to determine special areas such as bathrooms, information points or offices.
The identification signals are those that describe a specific place and allow the user to identify a specific area, these signs are usually characterized by containing texts and / or iconography. Depending on their use, these signals can be located in a fixed place or they can be portable and temporarily located in different areas.
Orientation signals are those that combine the characteristics of directional signals and identification signals, its function is very similar to an orientation map but with graphic elements such as iconography and texts [23].
The regulatory signals are those in which the user is told what actions he can perform and what actions are not allowed, these actions include the transit through certain areas, manipulation of certain objects, use of harmful elements, among others.
All types of signals are very helpful elements for the user in an unknown environment, which allow him to receive different types of information about the different areas that make up the environment. The signals also allow the user to select the route to reach their destination, or even in emergency situations, it allows them to determine where they should go and in some cases what actions they should take. Each
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although special characteristics of users must be taken into account, such as poor vision in most users of the elderly population.
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3.1 USER
The welfare of people is what we define as good mental and physical health and these determine the quality of life of everyone. The welfare of the world population can be affected by multiple conditions, but it is the elderly population that usually needs more specialized attention and services. The elderly due to their age and natural causes is normal to lose many of their physical and mental abilities, but the most common are loss of vision, loss of memory, motor problems, disorientation and the beginning of mild problems of dementia, these conditions do not prevent them from having a favorable quality of life and being independent, but there are factors that make them dependent on a person, usually a family member or a friend so they can perform daily activities. One of the most common activities that elders often avoid is to leave their homes to get to a specific place, which can be going shopping, going to a medical center, going to places of public recreation such as parks, museums or monuments or simply explore new spaces; The most important factors that can affect the development of navigation activities in urban spaces are those that depend to a large extent on their physical abilities, especially their vision, therefore it is important to identify potential hazards that may cause damage physical to the person, among the most common are the elements added to the spaces or that do not belong to them, such as publicity on the sidewalk, chairs, sidewalk gaps, difference in heights on the surface, badly parked vehicles, etc. Likewise, the vision plays an important role in the identification of the places in which the individual is located, and the possibility of acquiring information from his surroundings to find the route to his destination.
It should also be noted that more often it is presented that the elderly person does not have a close person either a relative or friend to depend on to carry out their activities, and this is due to two main reasons:
• Reduction of family members: This phenomenon is increasingly recurrent in our days, where few members are part of the same family, this is because people are more focused on the development of their academic and work activities and have little additional time to invest in a family and new members, therefore, one of the most common decisions is to have only one child,
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members of his family do not have time to take care of him, or that the members of his family live in a different area.
• Reduction of the social circle: It is very common for elderly people to have a significant reduction in friends or relatives because many of them move out of the area or die from different causes; Likewise, many of the elderly are less interested in meeting new people, since they do not tend to be very open to changes and to accommodate new individuals to their social environment. It should also be noted that one of the most notorious solutions in the case of the care of the elderly, are the geriatric homes, where they are provided with different comforts and specialized services, also these homes have staff that supports them in the realization of different daily activities, and the fact of being in community with people of a similar age, allows coexistence to be more viable.
3.1.1 THE INCREASING OF ELDERLY POPULATION
The population of elderly people has shown a great increase in recent years and it is expected that this phenomenon will continue its course, according to the projections of the United Nations, in 2015, a total of 901 million people aged over 60 were estimated and it is expected to increase to 2,100 million by the year 2050 [1]; it is considered that in Europe there are 23 of the most "old" countries, where by 2021 the percentage of people over 65 is expected to be greater than the number of people under 5 years, it is also necessary to take into account that population group with the highest increase worldwide is from the group of octogenarians (people over 80 years old) [24]; The implications that a country has to maintain a population of the elderly is enormous, since this population impacts in the economic and social sphere and it is necessary to develop new models and implement programs that allow the elderly to be productive individuals and maintain a healthy lifestyle in an environment that appreciates and welcomes them.
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Figure 1. Population aged 60-79 years and aged 80 years or over by development group, 2000, 2015, 2030 and 2050. Source: United Nations. World Population Ageing 2015. 2015
There are several causes that lead to an increase in the elderly population, but there are three main causes that can be attributed to developed countries, the first is the phenomenon called "baby boomer", which refers to all people born between 1946 and 1964 [2]; In this period of time of the postwar period, there was a great increase in the birth of people, since the people involved in the armed conflict formed homes and new families, also in the time of the postwar in some countries, there was a period of great benefits, as subsidies for housing, education and food, therefore, large families were very common in the countries involved in the war; also the different governments encouraged this behavior, since new individuals had to be created to replace those that had been lost during the war. Thanks to this policy the different world economic powers had a great increase in the following years since a large number of people entered the labor area, producing and investing in the development of the industry in an exponential way, also added to the development of new technologies they allowed a constant advance in the creation of companies and new jobs; but also the successive generation of baby boomers did not have all the benefits of their predecessors and therefore families did not maintain their growth. Today, all baby boomers are now elderly people, which require more attention and specialized medical services, and where a large part of these costs is borne by the state. The second reason why there is an increase in the population of older adults is the advancement of medical technology, where the development of new equipment and procedures has allowed to increase the standard of living, also, greater control over nutrition and healthier lifestyles with physical
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reason why the increase in the adult population is occurring is the reduction in the number of children that families have, this is due to several factors, one of them is that in previous times there were many deaths in children 1 year, but now, with improvements in medical care and different developments in both biomedical equipment and procedures, the survival of children has increased, therefore people tend to have a small number of children; another fundamental factor is the change in the structure of the traditional family, where the father worked and the mother stayed in the home attending to the needs of the family, nowadays, most families, both parents, are professionals and have a job, and each one of them tend to develop completely, always looking to advance in the work or academic environment, which means that the time they can devote to the family be minimum, and therefore the tendency is to have a very small family, or not to have children; another of the factors found is some laws implemented in countries such as China, where the one-child policy has been implemented, this with the objective of reducing the population increase that occurred first of all in the non-urban regions and to ensure that the country's resources were sufficient to meet the demands of the people, but when implementing this law the family structure changed, since now the phenomenon of families 4-2-1 is presented, where there are four grandparents, two parents and only one grandchild, where a single person must take charge of 6, which produces a great burden of social and economic responsibility; and as a last factor there is a change in the social interaction between people, where many of the individuals depend on digital communications and have difficulties when entering into a love relationship, which leads to many people suffering from depression, and choose to stay alone.
The population increase of the elderly in societies has different impacts in many areas, of which we can highlight [3]:
• If countries have policies where a large part of people's pensions are provided, it can be found that a small number of workers must pay more taxes to compensate for the economic benefits granted to the elderly
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population, which leads to a large economic burden to a small number of people.
• Retired elderly people tend to pay less taxes since they are not individuals that produce or earn a large amount of money, they are also people who often use health systems, since an important factor in their quality of life depends on the different treatments or medical procedures, Therefore, many of the states must contribute a great deal to the pension systems and improve health services, especially those focused on the elderly. • The people who are the labor force of a country must pay more taxes to
support a system that provides benefits to the elderly, this generates a nonconformity for the worker and a nonconformity for the different companies that would have less money to invest in other areas to have a higher profitability.
• As the population of adults is lower than that of the elderly, there is a decrease in the labor force of society, which can produce an increase in inflation. But also, companies must find new ways to attract workers with better wages, better benefits, or flexible work methodologies. Likewise, there may be an increase in the immigration of people from other countries to fill the required workforce, which has advantages as a cheaper workforce, but also has disadvantages such as the sociocultural clash between natives and foreigners.
• A larger population of the elderly represents a large market where they can be sold with a large number of goods and services, and many of the countries aware of the increase in the elderly population encourage the development of projects focused on improving the quality of life, providing them less dependence on the services of the state, and making them individuals that produce benefits to society.
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Figure 2. The percentage spent on pensions by different economies. Source: doi: 10.1787/a041f4ef-en
3.1.2 ELDERLY WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS
Visual disability refers to when a person has lost the ability to see to a degree that it is not possible to help him with traditional means such as glasses. This disability refers can be divided into two categories [5]:
DISTANCE VISION IMPAIRMENT:
• Mild: presenting visual acuity worse than 6/12. • Moderate: presenting visual acuity worse than 6/18. • Severe: presenting visual acuity worse than 6/60. • Blindness: presenting visual acuity worse than 3/60. NEAR VISION IMPAIRMENT:
Presenting near visual acuity worse than N6 or M.08 with existing correction. Worldwide, visual impairment is one of the biggest health problems, since approximately 1.3 billion people suffer from some kind of disability; Likewise, most people with visual disabilities are those over 50 years old, therefore, it is a population
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that should be paid more attention by developing practical solutions to improve their daily life, which can have a positive impact on their general well-being.
The loss of vision in the elderly is usually due to age, as over time the normal functions of the eye tissue decreases, and ocular pathology occurs. The most common causes of age-related visual impairment in the elderly are cataracts, age related macular degeneration, presbyopia, primary open angle glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy [4]. If these disabilities are not addressed correctly, they can lead the individual to increase the risk of falling, or to enter states of depression [6][7], social isolation and dependence on other people to carry out daily activities.
The loss of vision is something that greatly modifies the daily life of a person, where the actions that were previously made without any effort become challenges that must be overcome constantly, Adaptation to this new type of life, coupled with other possible disabilities such as mental or motor can greatly affect the self-esteem of the person and contribute to that he feels displaced from society.
The main needs of the elderly with visual impairment are those in which the person needs to identify, read or describe an object [26][27][28]. To understand each of these needs, below are simple examples of each one:
IDENTIFICATION:
It is when users find an object but cannot identify its use or content.
• If a user wants to make purchases and has a discount card or a credit card that he wants to use, he must identify in detail what are the differences between the cards or, if necessary, ask for help from people nearby. • If a user has bought fruits and these contain adhesives on their skin, for a
person with vision problems it will be very difficult to identify and remove them since their texture is very similar to the outer surface of the fruit, and maybe erroneously eats these elements.
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is full, unless he uses a liquid indicator or using his own fingers. DESCRIPTION:
It is when users must identify specific physical characteristics of an object, such as color or appearance.
• If a user wants to make a purchase and must count the money in cash to pay, he must quickly identify the value of each bill.
• If a user wants to surf the internet, he will find that a large part of the pages is not viable for people with visual disabilities; he will be able to use different software that helps with the reading of the pages, but in general, a great amount of information that can be useful for the user will be lost.
• If a user wants to dress with a specific color combination, he must first identify them; today there are many strategies to identify them, such as special labels, or devices with audios that can determine colors.
• The realization of a simple action such as opening a package can lead to a level of complexity, since there are many types, whether food, medicine, electronics, etc.
READING:
It is when users require to know the written information about an element. • If a user needs to use a bathroom, but finds a paper on the door, this item
may contain information about advertising, cleaning schedules or that the bathroom is broken.
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• If a user wants to find a house, and the only signs found on the road are signs that indicate the name of the street and the specific numbers of each house. A user must depend on someone to find a specific destination place.
• If the user is inside a hospital and wants to find a doctor's office or the bathroom, he cannot follow the signs described in the building and totally depends on other people to indicate the correct route.
• If a user wants to take a specific medication, but all packages are very similar, therefore, there must be an expertise in identifying the special shape and texture or have all the containers previously labeled in a way that facilitates this action.
3.2 URBAN NAVIGATION
The term urban navigation refers to any displacement activity of a person in an environment that belongs to the city, this displacement can be done on foot, or by different means of transport, whether motorized. This displacement involves taking into account many parameters so that it is carried out in the correct way, and even more so, when the person who is moving has special characteristics such as his age, or some physical or mental disability. One of the main parameters of urban navigation is to allow it to be carried out autonomously by people, that is, they can move from one place to another either by their own means or through public transport, without relying on additional people, this autonomy allows the transit of people and vehicles to be carried out efficiently.
The level of autonomy of a person depends intrinsically on the knowledge he has of the environment in which he is, for these two fundamental cases are presented:
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the user can perform various actions without major difficulties, either indoors, such as finding a room, or as in outdoors, when he must go to the train station. The memory of the user is a fundamental element to draw the mental map of the environment and which is only formed with the gradual recognition of the elements, this process can take time and more if is taking into account that the user is an elderly person and if the visual impairment has recently suffered.
The second case is the recognition of the environment through a guide, which can be through a person in the environment or through aids elements such as mobile devices. In this case, the process of identifying the environment does not depend on the memory but on the analysis of the information received, which must be short and precise; likewise, it depends to a great extent on the perception of the environment with other senses, mainly the ear, which in urban environments can be the main means to recognize specific elements of the place where it is located, such as vehicles, people, machinery, etc. Likewise, the sense of touch can provide information about the environment, but in an urban environment the use of this sense is avoided due to hygiene and safety issues, although it should be noted that many of the elements of help in urban environments are focused on interaction with touch such as maps for blind people in public transport stations or historical relevance.
Likewise, it must be borne in mind that urban environments present great challenges for the blind user, as they are spaces of continuous change and therefore can induce in the person feelings of uncertainty, and constant psychological discomfort, likewise, if it is an urban environment that is not familiar to the elderly with visual impairment, they will usually avoid exploring this place if possible. Therefore, it is vitally important to develop systems that allow people with visual impairments to navigate intuitively and safely to perform daily activities such as the use of public transport, or the location of places of interest.
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There are many components that are part of the navigation activity for non-familiar urban spaces for a person with visual disability, which are highlighted in FIGURE 3.
Figure 3. Elements of urban navigation and wayfinding. Source: Bernardine Dias, M. Towards Safe Urban Navigation for Visually Impaired Travelers. 2013
For the navigation activity the person with disabilities makes a detailed planning about the place to which he is directed, this allows him to build a mental map that will allow to move with more confidence. Then he needs to determine how he can move from the place he knows to the places he wants to explore, either by his own means or using different means such as public transport. Also, the person must be informed about the changes that may occur in the environment that he wants to explore, such as the hours of greatest flow of people or vehicles. Also, it is important for the person who can acquire all the information about their navigation experience for use in future travel and if possible, to share this information with other people who can use it. It should also be noted that, if the person is in danger at some point of the navigation activity, he must have the necessary means to solve that situation by himself or to ask for help [29].
Likewise, it should be noted that urban navigation for the blind person depends to a large extent on their skill and experience, and the use of essential tools such as the white cane or the help of a guide dog. The white guide cane is a tool that allows the person to identify elements that work as landmarks for their displacement, it also allows to identify irregularities in the surface or obstacles that may endanger the integrity of the person; there are many types of canes where the main variant is length and materials, these variations depend mainly on the preferences of the user, as well as on
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an medium length is recommended. The use of the guide dog allows people with visual impairment greater autonomy when traveling, since the animal is trained to identify some hazards, and determine the safest routes for the user; it should also be noted that the animal often cannot identify small obstacles or differences in the surfaces that can affect the user, it is also important that there is an affinity between the user and the dog so that the navigation activity can be carried out properly.
3.2.1 INCLUSIVE DESIGN IN URBAN AREAS
Many cities have established different tools that facilitate travel around the city, considering the different needs of vulnerable people, including the elderly or people with some type of disability. These tools are focused on allowing a safer and more comfortable navigation activity, also allowing urban spaces to have a greater flow of people.
Among the different tools that are currently installed in cities can be highlighted: Tactile paving: This element gives, through the differences in the look of the surfaces under the feet, different information to keep the pedestrian safe while moving through different routes. There are two main surface designs of this element, the first is a linear design, which provides information to the user on a specific safe route, normally this type of surfaces can be easily followed by means of help tools such as the white cane for the blind; also, there is a circular surface design, which indicates to the pedestrian a change in the street environment, it is normally used when crossing streets, or when there are obstacles on the road, such as trees. These elements should normally be in a different color from the sidewalk, usually red or yellow, this is done so that it is easily identified by the user.
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Figure 4. Tactile paving. Source: https://goo.gl/8G8JQp
Lighting and signals: These elements are located at the intersections of streets, where pedestrians must wait for vehicles to stop thanks to traffic lights, once the pedestrian can cross, a light and sound signal is activated that tells the user the direction to which to cross safely, also the sound signal indicates the time available to cross. The sound signals are usually formed by "bleeps", which are repeated in different cycles and at different times.
Figure 5. Lighting and signals. Source: https://goo.gl/Dsbv41
Informal crosses: An informal crossing is called where there are enough opportunities to cross a street safely, without the need for a formal crossing. Among the characteristics of an informal crossing can be found [30]:
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Figure 6. Pedestrian refuges. Source: https://goo.gl/Y2qxdZ
• Kerb build outs: Which extend the area of the sidewalk on the vehicular roadway.
Figure 7. Kerb build outs. Source: https://goo.gl/tsxF6F
• Raised crossing areas: which comprise an elevated section of road, with the crossing raised to the height of the kerb.
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Figure 8. Raised crossing areas. Source: https://goo.gl/RrHuL6
• Dropped kerbs: This element provides a level of access to the roadway, which makes it easier for wheelchair users or people with mobility problems to access the sidewalk without difficulty from the road, it should also be noted that this area must have additional elements such as tactile paving.
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Elderly blind or visually impaired people present different problems or challenges when they move through an urban environment, many of these challenges correspond to the identification of places and routes, but the biggest challenge they face is to stay safe during the travel, avoiding all kinds of damage, either by hits or falls due to external elements or irregularities in the surfaces. Among the main problems can be highlighted: Obstacles of the street: These elements can be fixed to the ground and therefore be permanent, or on the contrary they can be temporary elements. In this category stand out the advertising boards (a-boards), which are very common in the sidewalks in front of restaurants and shops, these elements block the regular travel of vulnerable people and often the collision with these elements cause the user to fall, making great physical damage, which many times in an elderly can take more time to recover. Likewise, vehicles parked on sidewalks can be found as an obstacle, often because of its size, forcing the person to walk on the road, which increases the risk of suffering an accident. Also stand out the urban furniture such as benches and tables, which can affect the user's fluid traffic through safe routes. Also, it can be highlighted that trash bin can affect vulnerable users, this is increased the day of garbage collection, where many bins are left on the sidewalk in disorderly.
Dangerous streets: This designation refers to streets that are not suitable for the safe transit of vulnerable people, where can be highlight pedestrian crossings without accessibility, or lighting or sound aids, or do not have tactile paving.
Non-inclusive urban development: This designation refers to places where sidewalks and pedestrian crossings are removed, which makes it very difficult for blind or elderly people to identify the pedestrian area, even guide dogs may find it difficult to identify the safe route for the user. These places are called shared spaces or shared surfaces.
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Based on the study by RNIB in the UK [8] can be highlighted:
• 95 percent of blind and partially sighted people have collided with an obstacle in their local neighborhood over a three month period.
• The most common obstacles collided with are: A. Cars parked on pavements (70 percent). B. Bins of all kinds (64 percent).
C. Permanent and temporary street furniture (59 percent and 55 percent).
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4.1 PROBLEM
Based on all the information collected, it can be determined that there are multiple problems that elderly people face daily, and these problems are even more complex when we talk about elderly people with a visual impairment, since the fact of performing daily tasks in a simple and independent way, can be very complex. Also, it should be considered that this problem will continue to grow as the elderly population worldwide continues to increase, this problem is a reality today and every year exceeds expectations.
The elderly due to their age present different health problems, which are much more common than in other people; These problems can be related to motor, visual, communication, mental disabilities, among others. These disabilities not only negatively impact the performance of daily activities in the home, but also in the field of recreation and social interaction, which leads to people suffering from a low emotional state, leading to depression and isolation [6][7]; It should also be taken into account that this decrease in the emotional state of the person also affects the physical state, therefore it becomes a vicious circle where one negative factor feeds another, and results in a low quality of life for the person.
One of the main solutions proposed so that elderly people with a type of visual impairment are kept in an active physical and emotional state, is to give them the freedom and independence of outdoor activities, and one of the activities of this type is the displacement from one place to another, and taking into account that most of the elderly population lives in cities, the most appropriate environment is an urban environment. Likewise, it must be considered that many of these people live independently and require solutions that allow them to maintain a lifestyle suited to their needs, where they perform tasks such as buying groceries, going for medical check-ups, visits family and friends or visiting new places, among others, can be done naturally, without depending on other persons.
When talking about displacement of an individual with visual impairment independently by an urban area, two unknowns are generated, the first arises from the
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gather information about their environment to understand the correct route to take. The second unknown refers to how the user can determine and avoid possible dangers such as obstacles on the route that can cause physical damage to the user, such as, for example, by hitting or falling [8].
Once the user starts the activity of moving in an urban environment, they can acquire information about their route through various means, their own information, information about people and information about their environment.
• Own information: It is the type of information that the person keeps in his memory, therefore he refers to places in which he has been previously and in which he can determine the place where he is and the specific route he must follow; this type of information also refers to the information that can come from mobile devices which, under some global positioning and routing application, can inquire about where it is and the place of destination; it can also be considered as information of one's own that has been previously investigated and where the exploration of new places entails a greater challenge, and where to be successful in the displacement it must be combined with another type of information that the user can Acquire from the same environment.
• Information from other people: It is the type of information that the user can acquire either casual people who are in the environment or people accompanying the user, it should highlight the information of casual people as it relates when the user moves independently; this information is transmitted verbally and due to age conditions the user may not understand it immediately, this information must also be retained in his memory throughout his journey and may be confused or forgotten. Also, it should be considered that many of the elderly may be exploring new places, far from where they habitually reside and therefore may not have
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the skills to understand the language, which leads to the language barrier being one more obstacle to overcome.
• Environment information: It is the kind of information that the person can find around them and it can guide them easily to their destination; when we refer to elderly people with some type of visual disability, we must take into account other types of elements that help the user navigate the urban environment, one of the main ones are the exclusive paths for the blind, which have different textures and forms that indicate to the user the way in which they should be directed and what actions to carry out, although this system is of great help, many times there are paths that are not safe and not all has an extended route to take the user to their final destination; Also, can be find maps for the blind that allow, through a surface with reliefs, to indicate the position of the person. This system, although convenient, is not widely used, since the identification of elements cannot be done very easily. Likewise, information points can be found in many places, which have aids for the blind, which provide the information that the user requires.
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Today there are different tools that allow people with visual impairment to move around different places and be autonomous in this activity. these solutions are effective depending on the physical and mental abilities of the users, as well as the affinity that the user has with the technologies; therefore, research has been developed on the most representative tools, whether they are in the conceptual phase or in the commercialization phase, in this way can be determine which are the main strengths and weaknesses, as well as the type of architecture used, the type of system, the type of interaction with the user and the type of data used; It is important to note that this analysis can also determine which technology is most used for its effectiveness, reliability and ease of development.
The analysis of each of the solutions found was based on "Toolkit Mapping the iot" (mappingtheiot.polimi.it), a tool developed at the Politecnico di Milano.
TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE:
• Standalone: A self-contained device that can operate without other hardware or software.
• Parasite: An add-on “parasite”, applied to some product that already exists. • Wearable: Device that is incorporated into an accessory worn on the body
or an item of clothing.
• Fixed position: Is fixed in one place, or usually remains in the same place without being removed.
TYPE OF SYSTEM:
• Product ecosystem: The product is connected to other objects (excluding smartphones).
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• Service ecosystem: The product relates to external services and apps. • Direct connection: The product is connected directly to the internet
(ethernet, Wi-Fi).
• Mediated: The product is connected mediated by another device (Bluetooth to a smartphone/ hub/ gateway).
TYPE OF INTERACTION:
• Internet dependent: Without internet, the product’s functions won’t work. It is internet-dependent.
• Semi-dependent: Without internet, the product’s functions may be partially accessed.
• Embedded interface: Interaction mainly happens through interfaces that are embedded in the product.
• External interface: Interaction mainly happens through interfaces that are external to the product, such as apps, dashboards.
TYPE OF DATA: • Collect data. • Visualize data. • Respond, notify. • Offers control.
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Name: Ultracane.
By: Sound Foresight Technology Ltd.
Description: It is a cane for the blind that contains in its handle ultrasonic sensors that can detect obstacles in the surrounding environment. This device provides a tactical feedback through vibrations by means of two buttons on its grip handle, the intensity of the vibrations allows the user to know the proximity of the obstacles.
Used by: Visually impaired. Where: Indoors and outdoors. Positive features:
• It is a single object, which performs all functions.
• The solution is implemented in an object that the user knows and uses frequently.
• Provides tactile feedback on an ergonomic handle. Negative features:
• The life of the battery is not so long and should be charged frequently. • Difficulty in the user to distinguish the type of obstacle.
• The learning time is long. Type of architecture:
• Standalone. Type of system:
• Product ecosystem. Type of interaction:
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• Embedded interface. Type of data:
• Respond, notify.
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Name: iAid.
By: Alexander Deans.
Description: It is a wearable device that is positioned at the user's waist, which by means of several ultrasonic sensors can map all the surrounding space of the user, detecting routes and obstacle. Also, the device has a joystick that allows to direct all the sensors to a specific place. The device also has the possibility to connect to digital applications such as google maps in an android operating system.
Used by: Visually impaired. Where: Indoors and outdoors. Positive features:
• Comfortable and easy to use, since its shape resembles a belt, it is easy to determine its position and way of securing.
• It has the possibility to connect to mobile applications such as Google maps, to take characteristics of a wayfinding system.
• Its production is carried out in a simple way, since it maintains common market elements such as sensors and microcontroller.
Negative features:
• The device does not detect elements that have a low height, and this type of obstacles are the biggest cause of falls of people with visual impairment. • Having a control in the hand, does not allow the necessary freedom for the
user to have other elements or perform other types of actions. • Formally it is not an attractive device.
Type of architecture: • Standalone.
42 • Wearable. Type of system: • Product ecosystem. • Mediated. Type of interaction: • Semi-dependent. • Embedded interface. Type of data: • Respond, notify.
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Name: SmartGuide.
By: Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados. Unidad Guadalajara.
Description: This device consists of glasses that contain different types of ultrasound sensors, cameras with image identification and global positioning modules, which allows the user to determine in an external environment the possible obstacles and elements that surround it, also gives the possibility to follow a specific route determined by the GPS and identifying additional information by means of urban signals. An additional advantage is that the glasses can identify colors, texts and identification of money, which leads the user to perform daily tasks in a simple way.
Used by: Visually impaired. Where: Indoors and outdoors. Positive features:
• Allows the user to have their hands free to perform other types of actions. • Multiple features in a single device, such as detecting obstacles,
determining navigation routes, reading texts and identifying colors and shapes.
• Instructions and alerts through audios, which allows other senses to be free.
Negative features:
• The device is a robust element and has a weight that can cause discomfort when using it for a long time.
• The system requires additional elements such as mobile devices to perform all information processing and stay connected to a network.
44 Type of architecture: • Standalone. • Wearable. Type of system: • Service ecosystem. • Mediated. Type of interaction: • Semi-dependent. • External interface. Type of data: • Collect data. • Respond, notify. • Control.
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Name: Pollicino. By: Carolina Ferrari.
Description: System focused on increasing the mobility autonomy of blind people in urban environments, where a series of beacons are installed in public lighting and determine a specific route, the user can follow this route through a digital application installed in a mobile device. The system is focused so that the user uses his cane to determine obstacles and the app to determine the route.
Used by: Visually impaired. Where: Outdoors, urban places. Positive features:
• System always available to the user, since it is part of the street furniture. • Easy to use, since is only needed to enter a digital application, without
buying or acquiring additional elements. • It can work without an internet connection. Negative features:
• The learning time is long, since the user must learn how to use all the features of the application.
• The coverage is determined by specific areas, and the system does not work outside of these areas.
• The system depends on the mobile device, both its battery and the interaction.
Type of architecture: • Parasite. • Fixed position.
46 Type of system: • Service ecosystem. • Mediated. Type of interaction: • Semi-dependent. • External interface. Type of data: • Respond, notify.
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Name: Munivo. By: Calin Giubega.
Description: It is a device whose function is to measure the distance between possible obstacles and the subject and sends the information in the form of spheres to the user through roller-type electromagnetic actuators, also the device can determine the direction in which the user must go to reach their destination. The shape of the device is the result of the combination of different factors such as function, ergonomics, comfort, aesthetics and production costs.
Used by: Visually impaired. Where: Outdoors, urban places. Positive features:
• The interaction between the user and the device is novel, by the way in which the actuators transmit the information to the palm of the user's hand.
• Element formally aesthetic and comfortable, for the materials in which its production is planned.
• The use of this device does not interfere with other actions that the user may be performing.
Negative features:
• The device depends on the ultrasound sensor found on the handle, but the hand being in a natural movement because of the action of walking, sensors may detect obstacles intermittently, and cannot alert the user efficiently.
• The device must maintain a constant pressure in the hand and comfort tests are required to determine the viability of the product.
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• The size of the device determine that the size of the battery should be small, and therefore the charge capacity is not the ideal.
Type of architecture: • Standalone. • Wearable. Type of system: • Direct connection. Type of interaction: • Embedded interface. Type of data: • Respond, notify.
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Name: Conceptual Design of Haptic-Feedback Navigation Device for Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease.
By: Rosalam Che Me, Alessandro Biamonti and Mohd Rashid Mohd Saad.
Description: Wayfinding system focused on the elderly with Alzheimer's problems, a disease that deteriorates the sense of direction, the visuospatial sense and the perception of the environment. The design is based on a wearable navigation device located in the user's underwear that integrates the haptic-feedback technology. The device provides the simplest instructions; left/right using haptic signals, as to avoid users’ distraction during navigation.
Used by: Elderly with Alzheimer's disease. Where: Outdoors, urban places.
Positive features:
• The system provides the user with innovative feedback, through a directional electrical stimulation.
• The elements of the system allow to locate them easily in the correct position, since they are attached to the user's underwear.
• The underwear with the stimulation elements can be treated as common clothes, that is, it does not require a special treatment for cleaning or drying.
Negative features:
• Depends on mobile devices for its operation, since it works through digital map platforms.
• The device constantly transmits the position of the user to other people who are in charge, this allows to keep it under surveillance which leads to a loss of the privacy.
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• The device is used with the user's underwear, therefore, if the user requires constant use of the device must keep several devices available or simply perform a daily cleaning of them, which leads to wear of the garment and reduce its useful life.
Type of architecture: • Wearable. • Parasite. Type of system: • Mediated. Type of interaction: • Internet dependent. • Embedded interface. Type of data: • Collect data. • Respond, notify. • Visualize data. • Control.
Figure 16. Case Study – 6, Conceptual Design of Haptic-Feedback Navigation Device for Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease. Source: https://bit.ly/2UmdzPq
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Name: Blind MuseumTourer.
By: Apostolos Meliones and Demetrios Sampson.
Description: System for indoor interactive autonomous navigation for blind and visually impaired persons and groups, which has primarily addressed blind or visually impaired accessibility and self-guided tours in museums. This system can determine the position of the user and the routes to be taken thanks to the combination of different technologies such as the wireless local network, tactile surface mounted assistance routes combined with low consumption bluetooth beacons and inertia recognition.
Used by: Visually impaired. Where: Indoors, museums. Positive features:
• Specific routes can be made within the museum depending on the exhibitions and the user's preferences.
• Easy to use, since is only needed to enter a digital application, without buying or acquiring additional elements.
• It can work without an internet connection, since it uses other communication systems, such as the local network and the bluetooth system.
Negative features:
• The user must invest a certain amount of time in their learning, since its use requires it and is not intuitive.
• The system depends on the mobile device, both its battery and the way of use.
• It is necessary for a person to download and configure the application so that the user can use it.
52 Type of architecture: • Parasite. • Fixed position. Type of system: • Service ecosystem. • Mediated. Type of interaction: • Semi-dependent. • External interface. Type of data: • Respond, notify.
